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Brazil 2014 - leaving a legacy
As you read this latest Pitchcare issue, we'll be into a summer of sport and halfway through the FIFA World Cup Finals in Brazil. As I write, the tournament is still two weeks away from starting, so forgive me for believing that England are still in contention and now waiting to play in the quarter finals as you read on.
In May, I was a speaker at the Football Groundsman conference at the Petrovsky Stadium in Russia, home of Zenit St Petersburg, and one of my co-speakers was Roberto Gomide, CEO of the company responsible for the construction and maintenance of over half the pitches used in Brazil for this summer’s World Cup. Speaking to Roberto before and after the conference, it was so interesting to note how difficult it had been for his company to get the pitches constructed/renovated and ready for play in time.
In the UK, we are so well serviced, and information is so easily accessible, that we take for granted most of our daily and seasonal routines, perhaps thinking that it should be equally easy for our counterparts abroad.
When Brazil won the race to host the tournament, pitch construction and maintenance was fairly basic at all of the venues. Fortunately, following the issues that surrounded the poor quality of pitches in South Africa 2010, guidelines had been put in place by FIFA and most of the pitches and new builds in Brazil followed these to present pitches to a much higher standard.
Despite the new specifications and guidelines, the task to provide these new pitches was immense. The country is the fifth largest in the world, occupying nearly 3.3 million square miles (8.5 million km2
), and
enjoys both a temperate and tropical climate. The logistics involved to work between the stadiums proved demanding in a country that
Say that again!
“I’m not big on measuring green speed as I believe that consistency is more important” Steven Horwood, Chiltern Forest GC
“One wonders how such golfers would fare if their own performance at work were monitored to the same extent” Declan Branigan, Golf Course Agronomist
“I operate an ‘all hands to the pump’ approach but, as there’s only two of us, it’s only ever two pairs of hands!” Adam Witchell, Beversbrook Sports
“In 1983, the club members voted to join the Devon League, and this was probably the most important decision we ever made, other than buying the ground”
Tony Bowhay, Abbotskerswell CC
the UK would fit comfortably within thirty- five times!
In the temperate south, the stadium at Porto Alegre where Australia played Holland, is a daunting 2,000 miles away from Manaus, England’s opening venue, and involves a four and a half hour flight. To put that in perspective, it’s the same as flying from Birmingham to the Canaries!
Due to the topography of the landscape, overland journeys are considerably worse and that particular road trip would take up to a month to complete, notwithstanding the grief of dealing with the varying levels of bureaucracy travelling across each of the Brazilian states.
I was assured by Roberto that his pitches would be good for the World Cup and it’s encouraging also that these new constructions have been built with the future in mind. The pitches have had a budget to include the latest technology during construction, plus the subsequent aftercare.
Most of the pitches have been built with fibre reinforcement, bespoke cool air and sub air systems, efficient drainage, lights, pitch coverings and the maintenance machinery, so there should be a top quality legacy for the local communities after the FIFA 2014 World Cup leaves town.
Cheers Dave Saltman
“Although we currently have an annual water abstraction licence for 10 million litres, this figure is set to be cut by 50% from 2015 onwards” Mark Harwood-Browne, Hartpury College
“The fertiliser and pesticide chemical companies are today on the back foot and hurriedly trying to invent new ‘natural’ products”
Lorne Smith, Fine Golf
“Craig’s role has also been highlighted by the Games’ own PR team and we tease him that he might yet become the poster boy of the Commonwealth Games” Dave Gibson, Fairways Sportsgrounds
“I am now involved in meetings that discuss the ground and pitches etc. which, believe it or not, the groundsman never sat in on before”
Andy Ward, Leicestershire CCC PC JUNE/JULY 2014 I 1
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